Tile for game

ABSTRACT

Tile for a playing game, comprising a rectangular front plane carrying playing indicia and a first support plane for permitting the tile to be supported on a base with the front plane facing a player having said tile “in hand”, screened off from the other players, wherein the front plane and the first support plane include a first angle of less than 90 degrees. Set of such tiles, the tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing rummy or a rummy-like game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a tile for a game or round game. The invention furthermore relates to a game comprising tiles according to the invention.

It is known to play games like Rummikub (Registered Trademark) using a series of tiles having front planes on which different values are shown. When the tiles are in the “hand” of a player the tiles are placed on a rack having a slanted support wall, so that the front planes of the tiles are visible to the player. When one or more tiles are played by the player, the player places these tiles with their rear planes on the table.

The racks used for supporting the tiles “in hand” form additional items of the game. In order to permit storage of the racks, the box for storing the tiles and the racks must be large enough, that means both in volume and in length.

The support wall of the rack is supported by two support legs, which are detachable. As a consequence, these legs can easily get mislaid.

In addition, the racks only allow placement of the tiles adjacent to one another, which can adversely affect the player's overview of the tiles “in hand” and hamper the search for and the formation of possible groups or runs of tiles,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From one aspect, the invention provides a tile for a game, comprising a rectangular front plane carrying playing indicia and a first support plane for permitting the tile to be supported on a base with the front plane facing a player having said tile “in hand”, screened off from the other players, wherein said front plane and said first support plane include a first angle of less than 90 degrees.

Thus, the player needs no rack for the tiles “in hand”. Consequently, the rack can be dispensed with.

The first angle may be 88 degrees or smaller. In one embodiment, the first angle is 85 degrees or smaller.

In one embodiment, said tile has a centroid or centre of mass, the projection of said centroid on a plane comprising said support plane coinciding with said support plane, thus improving the stability of the tile when not yet played.

In a further embodiment, said tile has a rear plane, said rear plane and said front plane having parallel intersecting lines with a cross-sectional plane of the tile parallel to the first support plane. Preferably, said rear plane is parallel to said front plane and forms a second support plane for supporting the tile when played by the player and placed on the base with the front plane upwards. Thus, the front plane can be clearly visible to one player in the situation “in hand” and to all players, equally, in the played situation.

Said rear plane and said first support plane may include a second angle exceeding 90 degrees. The sum of said first angle and said second angle may be 180 degrees.

In one embodiment, said front plane connects to said first support plane.

In a further embodiment, said rear plane connects to said first support plane.

The tile may further comprises an upper plane. Said upper plane and said front plane may be perpendicular to each other. Said front plane and said upper plane may connect to each other along a corner line, the projection of said corner line on a plane comprising said first support plane coinciding with said first support plane, whereby the stability of the tile is improved.

In one embodiment, the tile further comprises side planes that are parallel to each other and connect to said front plane and to said first support plane and are perpendicular to said first support plane, due to which the tiles can be placed closely adjacent to each other, their side planes abutting each other.

The tile may be substantially parallelepiped-shaped.

In one embodiment, in particular suitable for playing Rummikub, the front plane has a height larger than its width when the tile is supported on the first support plane.

From a further aspect, the invention provides a tile for a game, comprising a front plane which is the sole plane of the tile carrying playing indicia and a first support plane for permitting the tile to be supported on a base with the front plane facing a player having said tile “in hand”, screened off from the other players, as well as a rear plane forming a second support plane permitting the tile to be supported on the base with the front plane oriented upwards, said front plane and said rear plane being parallel, wherein said front plane and said first support plane include a first angle of less than 90 degrees.

From a further aspect the invention provides a set of tiles according to the invention, said set of tiles including tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing rummy or a rummy-like game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be illustrated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a tile according to the invention for playing rummy;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the tile of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows several tiles “in hand” of one player; and

FIG. 4 shows several tiles after being played by the player.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The tile 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is substantially parallelepiped-shaped and has a rectangular front plane 2, a lower or first support plane 3, a rectangular rear or second support plane 4, an upper plane 5 and two side planes 6/7.

The front plane bears the number “5” in a colour, in order to be used in the game Rummy or Rummikub (Registered trademark). A set of tiles for such a game will bear numbers ranging from 1-13 in four colours (suits). In addition, two tiles bearing Joker indicia may be included in the set.

The front plane 2 and the lower plane 3 include a first angle α of less than 90 degrees, in this example between 75 and 85 degrees, in particular between 80 degrees and 85 degrees, so that the front plane is slightly inclined rearwards when its lower or first support plane 3 is supported on a base 100. This upright position is stable. No rack or other aid for the tiles is needed. The centriod or centre of mass C is located such that its projection C′ on the plane of base 100 is located within the limits of lower plane 3. In addition, the corner 8 is located such that its projection 8′ on the plane of base 100 is located within the limits of lower plane 3, although in front of C′.

The rear plane 4 is parallel to the front plane 2 and includes a second angle β with the lower plane 3 of more than 90 degrees, the angles α and β being 180 degrees when added up. The angle gamma at which the front plane 2 inclines rearwards is the supplement to the first angle, and in this case equal to the second angle.

The upper plane 5 is perpendicular to the front plane 2 and to the rear plane 4. The side planes 6/7 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front plane 2 and to the rear plane 4.

The tile 1 can be manufactured by compression moulding or injection moulding. It is also possible to produce the tiles 1 by severing them from a plate by slanted cuts, the planes at the cuts forming the upper planes of two adjacent tiles.

It is to be understood that the first angle differs from 90 degrees to an extent which is larger than a possible draft angle which may be present in case the tile is produced by moulding in order to enable release of the moulded article from the mould. Thus, the first angle preferably is smaller than 88 degrees, more preferably smaller than 85 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of tiles 1 can be placed in front of a player. The front planes 2 of the tiles “5”, “1” and “8” are clearly visible to the player, i.e. exclusively to this player.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tiles 1 can be placed on the base 100 with their rear planes 4 flat on the base 100, the front planes facing straight upwards and being equally visible to all players.

The sides 6/7 permit a close placement of the tiles 1 in rows ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ or ‘6’, ‘6’, ‘6’, for instance. 

1. Tile for a game, comprising a rectangular front plane carrying playing indicia and a first support plane for permitting the tile to be supported on a base with the front plane facing a player having said tile “in hand”, screened off from the other players, wherein said front plane and said first support plane include a first angle of less than 90 degrees.
 2. Tile according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is 88 degrees or smaller.
 3. Tile according to claim 1, wherein said tile has a centroid or centre of mass, the projection of said centroid on a plane comprising said support plane coinciding with said support plane.
 4. Tile according to claim 1, wherein said tile has a rear plane, said rear plane and said front plane having parallel intersecting lines with a cross-sectional plane of the tile parallel to the first support plane.
 5. Tile according to claim 4, wherein said rear plane is parallel to said front plane and forms a second support plane for supporting the tile when played by the player and placed on the base with the front plane upwards.
 6. Tile according to claim 4, wherein said rear plane and said first support plane include a second angle exceeding 90 degrees.
 7. Tile according to claim 6, wherein the sum of said first angle and said second angle is 180 degrees.
 8. Tile according to claim 1, wherein said front plane connects to said first support plane.
 9. Tile according to claim 4, wherein said rear plane connects to said first support plane.
 10. Tile according to claim 1, further comprising an upper plane.
 11. Tile according to claim 10, wherein said upper plane and said front plane are perpendicular to each other.
 12. Tile according to claim 10, wherein said front plane and said upper plane connect to each other along a corner line, the projection of said corner line on a plane comprising said first support plane coinciding with said first support plane.
 13. Tile according to claim 1, further comprising side planes that are parallel to each other and connect to said front plane and to said first support plane and are perpendicular to said first support plane.
 14. Tile according to claim 1, said tile being substantially parallelepiped-shaped.
 15. Tile according to claim 1, wherein the front plane has a height larger than its width when the tile is supported on the first support plane.
 16. Tile for a game, comprising a front plane which is the sole plane of the tile carrying playing indicia and a first support plane for permitting the tile to be supported on a base with the front plane facing a player having said tile “in hand”, screened off from the other players, as well as a rear plane forming a second support plane permitting the tile to be supported on the base with the front plane oriented upwards, said front plane and said rear plane being parallel, wherein said front plane and said first support plane include a first angle of less than 90 degrees.
 17. Tile according to claim 16, wherein the first angle is 88 degrees or smaller.
 18. Set of tiles according to claim 1, said set including tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing rummy or a rummy-like game.
 19. Set of tiles according to claim 16, said set including tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing rummy or a rummy-like game.
 20. Set of tiles according to claim 1, said set including tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing domino.
 21. Set of tiles according to claim 16, said set including tiles bearing indicia on their front planes for playing domino.
 22. Tile according to claim 2, wherein the first angle is 85 degrees or smaller.
 23. Tile according to claim 17, wherein the first angle is 85 degrees or smaller. 